As the Colts prepare to open the regular season Sunday at 4:25 p.m. against Detroit at Lucas Oil Stadium, the vibe is similar to 2012. The Lions kicker redeemed himself, putting Detroit back on top 37-35 with 4 seconds left on the clock. How’s that? Read on.
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“You wish you could score with zero seconds left in the game, but it’s not how it works all the time”. He directed touchdown drives of of 75, 85, 94 and 75 yards after a slow start. “That’s team football when you do that”.
The Lions had no such problem. Stafford was 31-of-39 for 340 yards and three touchdowns.
Then, Luck found the “On” switch.
Today in Indianapolis, the Lions stormed ahead 21-3 in the second quarter but collapsed down the stretch and fell behind 35-34 with less than a minute left.
The scoring drive included a 51-yard pass to Phillip Dorsett.
It needed to be longer.
“I don’t care what anybody says about anything, in this league it’s hard to win a game anywhere, home or away”, Caldwell said. “We weren’t able to do that and an L is the price you pay for it”.
Detroit was the first on the board, thanks to a 21 yard pass to Theo Riddick. Bad coverage on a nine-yard out to tight end Eric Ebron. A 22-yarder to Marvin Jones Jr. “We just have to go out and try to beat a good Detroit team”. Then you go three-and-out, you punt and you go three-and-out and punt and the next thing you know you are up over 30 plays on the defensive side of the football.
Of course they could have. The Colts’ offense scored 35 points. Thirty-seven seconds remained. The Lions took over at their own 25. “He’s big, strong, fast and he can throw the ball extremely well, make all the throws”.
It’s clear Abdullah and Riddick will be Detroit’s workhorses this season, as quarterback Matthew Stafford was Detroit’s third-leading rusher Sunday. We can’t come out and go three-and-out and have a sack; that is a drive killer. It started with me.
“That’s what you sign up for”, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said. It is understandable that players who’ve been with the team for a few days or weeks aren’t familiar with the playbook or comfortable with their teammates (it explains players being out of position). To start the season off, I’m pissed. I hate to use that language, but I’m pissed off right now.
The Lions ripped the Colts’ injury-plagued defense for 448 yards of offense.
Yet it was somewhat surprising to see the Lions still have all three timeouts left, considering Indianapolis drove down the field moments earlier for a touchdown to take the lead.
“Defense 101. Have to make those tackles. That’s not something that you just kind of dismiss”, Caldwell said. Perhaps the Lions are 1st and 10 from their own 15 with just:27 seconds to play.
Defensive tackle Henry Anderson’s absence continues to present a challenge for the Colts, too. “It is a unique challenge for us, something that we are going to have to spend quite a bit of time on”. “Bottom line”, Adams said.
More to the point, he appeared comfortable in the pocket and in making all the throws.
Luck’s return for the Colts is clearly the biggest thing to follow for Indianapolis.
Andrew Luck completes a pass to T.Y. Hilton for no gain. Despite the loss, Andrew Luck went off on the Lions with 385 yards and four touchdowns. All told, eight players had at least two catches.
Matthew Stafford had a great game vs. the Indianapolis Colts in week one in the 2016-17 NFL Season.
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Veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie – who was signed on August 22 – will play a major role alongside free agent addition Patrick Robinson. Moore returned briefly after being shaken up in the second quarter. “It helps your passing game and keeps down the wear and tear on your quarterback”.
